Since 2012, the University at Buffalo Nanosatellite Laboratory has been a student-run organization building nanosatellites for government-sponsored programs and researching space situational awareness. Its students design and develop missions such as PIP-Sat, which studies radiation effects on GPU-based computing in low Earth orbit, while the Short Cycle Laboratory gives newcomers hands-on experience through semester-long high-altitude balloon projects. The lab welcomes students from any major and has helped launch alumni careers at NASA, SpaceX, and Northrop Grumman.
Cornell Rocketry Project TeamSince 2012, Cornell Rocketry Project Team has given Cornell students hands-on aerospace experience by designing, assembling, and launching high-powered rockets for the Spaceport America Cup. A 50-member, six-subteam team, it builds a new rocket from scratch each year, including in-house hybrid motors and guided descent systems. Its 2025 rocket, Andromeda, reached 12,100 feet on a test flight and earned third place in the competition’s 10K Hybrid SRAD category.ITHACA, NY
Clarkson University RocketryClarkson University Rocketry is a student-run competitive engineering team that designs, fabricates and launches high-power rockets for personal missions and international competitions. Working through Clarkson University’s SPEED program and composites laboratories, students take projects from modeling and in-house composite construction through flight testing. The team also supports members pursuing Tripoli Level 1 and Level 2 high-power rocketry certifications.POTSDAM, NY
Operation SpaceFounded in May 2018, Operation Space designs and builds rockets through a nationwide, remotely coordinated team of college students. Unlike university-bound rocket projects, it brings students from different schools together around collaboration rather than competition, with the goal of proving what young people can accomplish through a highly technical launch. The team assembled and tested its two-stage rockets at Vanderbilt University during build week.STONY BROOK, NY
SilverSatIn Silver Spring, Maryland, SilverSat is a community-based nonprofit in which tweens and teens design, build, and operate a CubeSat that photographs Earth and shares mission data from space. Founded by parents and students, the program gives students in grades 7–11 responsibility for major project decisions while adult mentors provide guidance. Its student-created satellite launched from Cape Canaveral in September 2025 and was deployed from the International Space Station in December 2025.